I don't think you'll get one answer that says it all. So here's a comment with some additional suggestions: Action photographers also care about maximum continuous frames per second burst rate and length (both depend heavily on the image format, resolution, CPU(s) and buffer RAM in the camera) as well as the total number and types of selectable focus points. Yet other photographers care about the viewfinder coverage (e.g. 95% vs. 100%) and to lesser extent the viewfinder magnification. Crop factor is another big one: full frame vs. APS-C, APS-H and all the other variations...
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Kim BurgaardAug 9 '11 at 6:38

11

The maximum/minimum aperture relates to the lens, not the camera body
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Kim BurgaardAug 9 '11 at 6:42

Macro focus, by the way, is another feature which relates to the lens, not the camera body (except in the cases where the lens mount includes a bellows, which isn't any modern camera I'm aware of).
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mattdmAug 9 '11 at 19:44

Disclaimer: it's your site. True, it's a great site and most of the regulars know it's yours and deserves the 8 votes +1 from me, but it's nice to have a disclosure nevertheless :-)
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koiyuAug 10 '11 at 9:25

@Anisha: the DoF is (more-or-less) a function of the aperture and the focal length of the lens, with a larger aperture and a longer focal length (relative to subject distance) giving a shallower depth of field. Since you need to use a longer lens on a larger sensor to get the same subject framing at the same subject distance, you will get a shallower DoF taking the "same" picture at the same aperture.
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user2719Sep 8 '11 at 5:36

Apart from the factors which you mention, some of which pertain at least in part to the software and not to the hardware, it's also a matter of how the bodies are physically manufactured. For instance they can be weather sealed, they can be more or less robustly built, they can be made of "cheap plastic" or of magnesium alloy.
In addition, any given model is tested for a certain number of shutter actuations (there are some very interesting questions and answers on this).

As a final issue there is ergonomics and interface: factors like weigth, or how does it fit your hand or the buttons/commands are placed can affect very strongly the result.

+1 for batteries. Was interested in Sigma's DSLR line until I noticed they used expensive CR123 batteries (which at the time didn't exist in rechargable versions, at least not where I live) which was a dealbreaker (I'd have probably ended up with them had they used LiOn packs or AAs).
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jwentingAug 9 '11 at 11:49

Good Answer. I was always unsure about the built-in HDR. Is it really a useful feature? I think even if I had that feature on my camera i would still opt for auto-bracketing and create the final result using a dedicated HDR software where I have full control over the final image. Also, as much as I liked my old Pentax I personally really hated the 4AA batteries setup.
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JakubAug 9 '11 at 13:01

@Jakub: depends on how often do you shoot HDR. I also have Luminance HDR program installed, but I do not use HDR much often so the built-in feature is mostly enough for me and it saves my time. Mine has two levels, but the second one is too strong in my opinion, so I only use the first one. But it is not the feature to persuade me to buy a particular camera. I take it rather as a bonus.
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JuheleAug 9 '11 at 13:11

Well, sensor size is a major difference among camera bodies. That said - in the realm of DSLR, there are 3 size families out there - Full Frame (like Canon 1Ds), APS-H (1.3x crop factor on Canon 1D), APS-C (1.5x crop factor on Nikon, 1.6x factor on Canon other than 1D/1Ds/5D).

The size, combined with resolution and more factors is a major contributor to what you called ISO noise.

The sensor size also determines how shallow your minimum DoF will be for a given composition.

But @mattdm said above that aperture is dependent on lens! So, aperture is related to DOF, isn't it?
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abcdSep 8 '11 at 3:39

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@Anisha - for a given lens (that is, a given focal length), the sensor size determines the Field of View (FoV). Smaller sensor creates a proportionally smaller FoV. Now, consider shooting a head portrait, where the head fills the frame. Clearly, for a smaller FoV you need to be farther away from the subject for the same composition (if for a full-frame you are 6 ft away, then on APS-C you'll be 9 ft away). A given lens has a set maximum aperture which is the same for the two cameras. Hence, the min DoF (for max aperture) is larger on the APS-C, where the subject is farther away.
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ysapSep 8 '11 at 9:57

Thanks ysap, but would you explain what is "field of view" in a layman's language. I am not technically too sound.
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abcdSep 8 '11 at 10:19